Chapter 10 - The Woman in the Warehouse
The freight tunnel opened beneath an abandoned warehouse.
They emerged between crates.
Bell locked the hatch.
Caden immediately pointed the revolver at him again.
“Now we talk.”
Bell leaned against a post.
“Fine.”
“Why me?”
“Because Gault knew Caleb’s affidavit existed.”
“That doesn’t answer.”
“He believed Elizabeth gave a copy to one of her sons.”
“Why not Silas?”
Silas answered.
“Because Gault searched me.”
Caden turned.
“When?”
“Years ago.”
Bell continued.
“You were outside Arizona. Harder to monitor.”
“So you used me as bait.”
“Yes.”
Mara’s eyes narrowed.
Caden laughed without humor.
“At least you’re consistent.”
Bell said, “I needed Gault to believe I was delivering you into the Reeve frame.”
“You almost did.”
“I expected my deputies to intervene before Arroyo Seco.”
“They didn’t.”
“They were reassigned by Vale.”
“So you lost control.”
“Yes.”
“Then four men shot my horse.”
“Yes.”
“And me.”
Bell looked at the dark stain.
“Yes.”
Caden hit him.
One punch.
Bell went down.
Nobody stopped Caden.
He rubbed his knuckles.
“That was for the horse.”
Bell wiped blood from his lip.
“Fair.”
Mara said quietly, “Do not make a habit.”
“No promises.”
A sound came from behind the crates.
Mara raised her rifle.
“Come out.”
A woman stepped slowly into view.
Late thirties.
Dusty dark dress.
Bruised cheek.
She carried a leather ledger.
Bell whispered, “Mae.”
Silas went rigid.
Caden looked between them.
“Who?”
The woman stared at Caden.
Her eyes filled.
“You really don’t know.”
“Know what?”
Silas closed his eyes.
Caden turned on him.
“What?”
Silas spoke quietly.
“She is Mae Voss.”
“Voss?”
The surveyor’s surname from Elizabeth’s ledger.
Mae looked at Caden.
“Harlan Voss was my uncle.”
Caden waited.
She swallowed.
“My mother was Clara Voss.”
Still nothing.
Bell said, “Caleb Roark was Mae’s father.”
Caden stared.
Silence expanded.
“No.”
Mae gave a bitter smile.
“That was my reaction when Mother told me.”
Caden turned to Silas.
“You knew.”
Silas did not deny it.
“How long?”
“Twelve years.”
Caden hit him too.
Silas stumbled into a crate.
Mara sighed.
“Caden.”
“That one was family.”
Silas touched his mouth.
“I deserved worse.”
Caden’s chest tightened.
“Mother knew?”
“Yes.”
“Elizabeth knew Father had another daughter?”
“Yes.”
“When was Mae born?”
“Four years before you.”
“So before they married?”
“Yes.”
Caden looked at Mae.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For not knowing.”
“You weren’t told.”
“Apparently that is the family profession.”
Mae almost smiled.
Then held up the ledger.
“This is why Gault wants me dead.”
“What is it?”
“His master property book.”
Bell stepped forward.
“I thought he destroyed it.”
“I lied.”
Bell nodded.
“Good.”
Mae opened the ledger.
Payments.
Claims.
Hidden percentages.
Railroad negotiations.
At the back, several pages described Roark Springs Holdings.
Ownership originally divided among Caleb’s children.
Silas.
Caden.
Mae.
Mae pointed.
“Father used our names to hide assets from Gault.”
Mara spoke sharply.
“Assets stolen from others.”
“Yes.”
Mae did not defend it.
“Later Caleb tried to change the structure into a custodial trust.”
“Nantan,” Caden said.
Mae nodded.
“Elizabeth. Nantan. Esteban Ruiz.”
“Never completed.”
“No.”
Bell studied a later page.
“What is this?”
Railroad purchase option.
Price:
$250,000.
Silas stared.
“For the water corridor?”
“And right-of-way access,” Mae said.
Caden understood immediately.
Gault’s land scheme had grown beyond cattle.
He planned to sell control of the springs and corridor to a railroad.
“When?”
“Closing in five days.”
Bell swore.
“That is why everything accelerated.”
Mae nodded.
“Gault needed titles clean before the railroad lawyers examined them.”
“So Reeve was going to authenticate the forged packet and blame the Roarks.”
“Yes.”
“And after I was arrested?”
“Gault would argue his company was deceived by Caleb.”
Caden laughed.
“He turns the thief into victim.”
“Exactly.”
Mara looked at Mae.
“Why help now?”
Mae hesitated.
“Gault told me my entire life that Caden knew about me and wanted nothing to do with me.”
Caden stared.
“He told me Mae wanted nothing to do with us,” Silas said.
Mae looked at him.
“You believed him?”
“I wanted to.”
The truth was uglier than manipulation alone.
Gault had lied.
But the Roarks had accepted his lies because they avoided difficult conversations.
Bell turned pages.
“We can stop the railroad sale if we get an injunction.”
“From Vale?” Caden asked.
“No.”
“Then who?”
“Federal district judge Nathaniel Avery.”
“Can he be trusted?”
Bell gave a tired smile.
“Less easily bought.”
Footsteps sounded outside.
Bell extinguished the lantern.
They waited.
A man shouted from the freight yard.
“Search every building!”
Gault’s men.
Mae gripped the ledger.
Caden looked at this newly discovered sister, his compromised brother, a disgraced deputy marshal and the woman whose family his own had helped dispossess.
It was not the family reunion anyone would choose.
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But for the first time, everyone in the room wanted Horace Gault stopped.
That would have to be enough.
